The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-12-29
Lake City Tobacco Plsnt.l
b A FLORIDA MAsrODOy.

The recent discovery Of the bones Of
some animal Of extraordinary dimensions
in the Ichetucknee river and the recov-
Sparkman brothers, has already been
noticed. -s
The reports of the find reaching DR.. J.
Kost, our State Geologist and also pro-
fessor of geology, etc., in the State Agri-
cultural College at this place, he imme-
diately set about systematic investigs-
tion looking to the recovery IN the inter
est Of his science of the entire skeleton,
or so much of it as might be available.
Learning that Mr.. Mccormick, residing
some three miles this side of Fort White
and about mile from the river, had been
first to discover the bones and that he
also knew of the location of other por-
tions of the huge frame, communication
was had with him which resulted in DR..
kost visiting the locality and beginning
at once prosecution of the work of re-
covery which he is still pushing forward
with no little Inconvenience and with
much expense to himself. He hopes, how
ever, to obtain sufficient portion of the
skeleton to enable him to set it up entire
at the college museum.
THE LOCATION.
The bones are distributed for a consid-
erable distance along the run of the Iche-
tucknee river, some three miles above its
confluence with the Santa Fe, and at the
points Of deposit is about hundred yards
wide and very shallow, being from two
to six feet in depth. 1t is beautiful
stream, clear as crystal and abounding in
fish, the shores fringed with varied for
est growth, underneath which 10 fine
hammock soil; and numerous bold and
clear springs gush out along the banks of
the stream, which has its origin above in
similar one Of larger size Cattle browse
it wading in and feeding on the green
growth under the surface of the water.
The bottom is compact and sticky, like
prairie soil, and is composed of a COM
pound of shell mari, clay, sand, muck,
etc. The huge animal probably begged
down where its remains were found when
the stream ran much above its present
level and before the existing channel was
cutout by the action Of the water. 1t
belonged to some post-tertiary age and
the species probably became extinct some
time after the appearance of man.
THE SIX ELEToN.
The specimens recovered lay on the
bottom from four to six feet under water,
we'll out into the stream and opposite a
very pretty slope of bank, and as already
stated were taken out with much difficulty
and expense, Dr. k"st having force of
men at work in TIE water for several
days.
Estimating from the dimensions of the
specimens recovered the living animal
stood about twelve feet in height by
twenty-four in length, was some four feet
across the hips and about three across the
forehead. The tusks are six feet apart at
the tips, are FIVE aud halt feet in length
and ten inches in diameter. They were
obtained entire but broken in recovery.
They were fine specimens of ivory, and
the measurement given is exclusive of the
portion socketed in the skull. They curve
upward like those of an elephant. The
whole Of the inferior maxillary or lower
jaw, with most OF the teeth and other
bones, have been recovered. The molars
are enormous, weighing several pounds
though badly broken, all the bones being
very brittle and much decomposed; sew
eral carpus bones, one entire and several
fragments Of vertebre, the sacrum entire,
Two large sections of the pelvis and
. scapula or shoulder blade; specimens
of coprolite; a femur or thigh bone
entire, the dimension Of which are 81 feet
in length, fourteen inches in diameter and
twenty inches on a transverse of the pro-
tuberance Of the articulating extremity.
Other Of the bones are now being recov-
cred, and there is another deposit further
up the river. The animal was very old,
as is indicated by the worn condition of
tusks and surface of the teeth, and Dr.
Kost saysit is the largest skeleton of the
mastodon Americanus he has ever seen,
and he has handled several, setting up one
complete at Adrian (Michigan) College.
This will be his third if he succeeds in set
ting it up at the college here as is bis in
tention; and it will be great card for
the institution.
The bones Of other msstodons, and also
of the mammoth Elephas Primogenius
have been found at various places IN
Florida, but this is the first to be utilized
In the interest of science in our home insti-
tutions.
The mastodon was an elephant-like
animal, but also somewhat after the model
of an OK, was comparatively harmless
with all his great bnlk and griminivorous
rather than carnivorous, feeding upon the
foliage Of trees and other vegetable pro-
ducts.
Governor Taylor, of Tennessee, re-
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